Tome of Lore
by kingofdragons1
Summary: A series of shortstories from the world of Aseri
1. Introduction

Tome of Lore  
  
By kingofdragons1  
  
The following content will be based on my earlier entry " The world of Aseri"   
  
All of my short stories will be directly from about and have everything to do with the "World of Aseri" and any additions I might make. Please take care to read " the world of Aseri else one might be confused when reading the stories contained within this volume. 


	2. The Story Of The Lost Garden Gnome

Tome of Lore   
  
I ."The Story of the Lost Garden Gnome"  
  
By kingofdragons1  
  
The Tome of Lore will contain short stories pertaining to the World of Aseri.  
  
Once upon a time long ago in a distant land, there was a small village by the name of Levitan. Levitan, was a village of farmers, the land was their way of life, anything else wouldn't couldn't and shouldn't matter. It was in this very village that a very peculiar man made his residence and a very strange story came into existence. I proudly present to you:   
  
"The Story of the Lost Garden Gnome"  
  
It was a Clear a day as any in the Month of the Sun, the Trees stood tall and vagrant mighty as they were creating a sense of security that could not be found anywhere for miles around, the birds sang their melodic song of joy brining a state of peace and tranquility and the wind carried a soft scent of the fresh mornings dew. The morning light shone into the bedroom window , revealing an unmade empty bed. Dew drops were not the only scent that could be found in this home. For the aroma from the eggs and sausage frying on Strongbolio's skillet were more than enough to make any mouth water. His meal now cooked, he set down to eat pondering his chores of the day.Strongbolio was not a fat man, though stout he was very strong for his age. Business man like that he was Strongbolio, was often asked to do the village trading. Today, was Earth day meaning it was time to trade again. So Strongboilo hitched his wagon and set out to his other neighbors to pick up this years harvest. The work was long yet rewarding for at every house he stopped he was invited in for another breakfast. By the time he reached the last house of the village it was near lunch time. Setting the final goods into his wagon, Strongbolio waved goodbye and set our on his journey. It was a good three days till he made it to the market town of Torq. Arriving at the town with ample time to eat Strongbolio made his way over to the nearest tavern. Before arriving at the tavern however something caught his eye. For in the window of one of the shops he saw a most interesting item, it was a stone carving of a gnome. Very interested,Strongbolio ran inside the store and asked about the gnome on display. The shop-keep told him that there was more then just one and if he was interested in the entire set. Stronbolio's eyes widened as he learned that the complete set sported two hundred of the stone gnomes. It would be like my own little army he thought to himself. He then asked the shop-keep for the price of each individual one and if they could be purchased as a whole set or not. To his dismay each gnome would cost ten gold pieces an as a set the shop-keep would knock off five percent.Ten times two hundred is two thousand gold, and two thousand minus five percent would be one thousand nine hundred gold. Now Strongbolio did not have any such sum of money at his disposal.   
  
Now Strongbolio was not a stupid man, so he tried to negotiate the price. First he asked why the gnomes were so much in the first place, his answer was that the gnomes were magical and at the stroke of midnight would some to life and protect whosever property they were on from all outsiders, but only if they were all bought. (The shop keep merely told him a story that had come with the gnomes when he bought them, he dint believe the story at all and was really just trying to swindle old Strongbolio) Completely awed by the Wiley shop-keep, Strongbolio decided that he must have these gnomes. Strongbolio signed a contract with the shop keep that he would buy every last gnome one by one thus getting the discount. Earth day after Earth day past and more and more gnomes began showing up on Strongbolio's lawn. After he had about ten gnomes the other farmers thought he was done and laughed a little at the foolishness of wasted gold on rock statues. But, ten was not enough for Strongbolio and every Earth day he would bring home another gnome. Soon the people started to think he was going crazy and the council decided to take him off trading duty. But this did not stop Strongolio, no for every Earth day after that he kept bringing home gnomes. Now the people were truly worried about him and begged him to stop. Strongbolio would not listen he had his mind made up that he would have every gnome. With his collection nearing completion Strongbolio felt a new sense of security and on the final day when he brought home his last gnome he sent out to all the farmers of the town for a great party over at his house. Now the other farmers already thought he had lost his mind so they were hesitant at first but remembering the good times they had had at Strongbolio's parties in earlier years they set forth for a good time.It was that very night that Strongbolio revealed to everyone why he had bought all those gnomes. The other farmers tried to hold back their laughter for old Strongbolio's sake but one farmer could not. His name was Lenny and as soon as Strongbolio told his story he burst out laughing. Now this got Strongbolio quite upset so he kindly asked Lenny to leave. Lenny, pissed off that he was kicked out of the party had it set in his mind that he must get Strongbolio back. So that very night Lenny aimed to prove Strongbolio's magic gnomes a fake. At exactly eleven fifty eight PM, Lenny was on Strongbolio's lawn with a hammer and chisel in hand. Two minutes later Lenny picked up a gnome and shook it some almost expecting it to come to life. It was a little heavier then he thought, enough so to make him lose his grip dropping the gnome. It thudded to the ground and Lenny swore he heard it say "ouch" but dismayed all possibilities because that was impossible. Lenny then proceeded to carve his name into one of the gnome's hats reading: "Lenny was here at twelve o' clock". Satisfied with his work Lenny made his way home. Tired from the hike, (Lenny lives approximately fifteen miles from Strongbolio's) Lenny tripped on his stoop. Picking himself up, he fumbled at the door unable to get it open, dropping his key on the ground. He then bent down to reach for his key when all of a sudden something jumped up on his face and attacked him. Dragging him to the ground the creature opened his mouth impossibly wide and bit off Lenny's head. Early that morning and with a bit of a hangover, Strongbolio left his house for his morning chores. He went immediately to greet his gnomes, but upon inspection he noticed that one of them was gone. Furious, Strongbolio sat down to calm his anger, it was then that he saw Lenny's chisel work on one of his gnomes. Quickly and quietly he rearranged his gnomes to make it appear that none were gone and as for the one Lenny had defaced he brought that inside. Strongbolio knew Lenny had to be dealt with so that instant he marched over to Lenny's residence. But before he got to the door he felt as cold as ice. His spine tingled with fear and uncertainty as he dint know what to make of what lie (literally) before him. For what he now witnessed was the decapitated body of his would be fellow farmer Lenny. Finally breaking out of his shock Strongbolio decided that it would be best if he was not the first one to discover the body, in fact he was going to deny ever being there at all. With that thought process in mind he took off as fast as his feet could take him and ran back into his house locking all doors and windows afraid of both possibly being persecuted for Lenny's death or being killed by the killer. Later that afternoon Two of Lenny's other neighbors found his headless body and immediately reported it to higher authorities. The farmer council held an court session to which all came, even Strongbolio. Investigations were conducted and three suspects were apprehended of those three, two were the original men who had found the body (apparently they had been known for taking more then their fair share of the crop monies.) the third suspect was none other then Stongbolio but at eye witness accounts of the last guests ( too drunk to leave so they stayed the night) Strongbolio was sleeping during the time the murder was thought to have taken place ( between twelve AM an five AM) . So since no one could verify that the other farmers had indeed been elsewhere during the murder they were convicted and sentenced to death by hanging. Strongbolio lived a long and decently content life to a ripe old age of sixty five keeping the secret to his grave. The children of the farmers were told generation after generation of the story that I have just told you.   
  
~The End~ 


End file.
